What makes you happy?
This is the key to live life fully. Some say that a time with family is the most precious thing. The others say that delicious food makes them smile. Some happy memories relate to the present while other unforgettable memories are linked with the past. No matter where these reminiscence derive from, I believe most of happiness comes from insignificant moments that are not so obvious for others.
What if you know you forget something insignificant for others but significant for you? How do you react? How do you protect those precious memories you have in you? Do you feel sad? Do you feel helpless? Do you give up? Do you ask for help? Then, do you know how and where to ask for help?
At the Day Care Center where the team members of this blog work, over twenty clients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia actively gain the benefits from participating in well-balanced activities by validating their reminiscence all day. I strongly believe reminiscing one’s own past is one of the simplest therapies to any age group.
Especially, for our clients who are in any stage of dementia, reminiscing moments often visits them in a day. One client recalls their own parents/spouse and looking for them throughout a day. Another client believes that her children are still little in the kindergarten.
When interacting with clients in a reminiscing period, I suggest validating their reality. Their reality is your reality today. The story might be different tomorrow. However, if their reminiscence and memorable stories make them happy at the moment, it is working and is turned to be one of the successful and therapeutic activities.
It is also recommended to ask ourselves the following question; what if we know we lose our precious memories? We will be scared, depressed, and frustrated. When we do so, it would be easy for us to link with clients closely and give us the key to understand why they are agitated and frustrated.
Recommended book about validation therapy
The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with 'Alzheimer's-Type Dementia' by Naomi Feil, Vicki De Klerk-Rubin, and Vicki De Klerk-Rubin (Paperback - Jan 15, 2002)
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I love it, it is so simple yet so wonderful to think about. People really should take time to think about happy memories!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice comment. It is very interesting to write what we do like this. I find that everyone has an unique style of expressing in writing! Yours are very funny and articulate. Pien's are very creative with lovely photos. I love it!
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